A few years ago, we happily passed on the news that a change in Starbucks Frappuccino flavors meant that you could get some flavors in a vegan formulation. But now, if you’re a Frappuccino lover who eschews eating animals, you’ll have to stay away from the strawberry variety from here out. The good news is that the newest base doesn’t contain artificial red food dye. The bad news is that’s because it’s been replaced with cochineal extract, a dye made from dried, ground-up insects. [More]

Just in case you’re not getting enough energy from Starbucks’ actual coffee or espresso drink, the company has a new offering in the pipeline to give customers the jolt they crave. In April, the omnipresent chain will introduce Refreshers at retail locations nationwide, as well as convenience and grocery stores. [More]

Starbucks has made a name for itself, to say the least, with all things coffee, so now it seems they’ve decided to move beyond their bread and butter (or scones and coffee, as it were) and have opened their first Evolution Fresh Inc. juice store today. [More]

How many times have you been shooting down a ski slope, totally shredding some awesome powder (if that’s a thing?) and thought, “Man, I could really go for a latte right about now”? Enough people have felt that way, apparently, as Starbucks has opened its first ski-thru location. [More]

While it seems a Starbucks sprang up on every corner and in every mall at the rate of one new location per second, it’s taking a little bit longer for their extended menu, including alcohol, to reach the nation. After testing it at Seattle locations and in Portland, Ore., the chain is finally ready to branch out to a few more locations. [More]

Apparently Starbucks has had enough of people telling it to just “lighten up, man,” as they’ve announced they’re debuting a “Blonde Roast” brewed coffee in all their U.S. stores. It’s being called “mellow and approachable,” as opposed to the other darker, high-strung and standoffish roasts. [More]

If you live in the Northeast or the Sunbelt, expect to be doling out just a little bit more for your Starbucks double-shot-no-whip-extra-foam-vanilla latte, as the company is raising prices in those areas by about 1 percent. [More]

Since August of 1997, the folks at the Black Bear Mico Roastery in New Hampshire have been slinging pebbles at coffee colossus Starbucks over the smaller company’s “Charbucks” blend. And in spite of court rulings in favor of the little guy, Daddy Starbucks has continued to fight. But last week, a U.S. District Court in New York may have shut the door on the Seattle java slinger’s attempts to rid the world of Charbucks. [More]

If there’s ever a really great time to make sure your gun’s safety is on, it’s when you’re carrying it in your purse while ordering a super non skinnyfat with extra whip peppermint mocha or whatever at Starbucks. A girl in Wyoming who doesn’t really get firearms was packing a small gun that accidentally went off while she was stopping for her caffeine fix. [More]

In a scene that could be straight out of Best In Show, a couple whose romanced blossomed over cups of Starbucks’ pricey caffeine decided that the java joint was the perfect place to bind themselves together for eternity. [More]

While food stamp programs may vary from state to state, it would seem logical to restrict usage of those stamps to actual food items. Not so in the case of Starbucks located inside grocery stores in Oregon, where you can use stamps to purchase cold beverages like a Frappuccino. [More]

Who reads the terms of service on gift cards? Maybe not everyone, but four consumer advocacy groups have your back and are petitioning Starbucks to remove certain provisions in time for the holiday season. [More]

See that bag of coffee grounds at Starbucks that’s listed at $12/pound? Well, if you buy less than a pound, there’s a fee of $1.50 that isn’t mentioned anywhere in the store and doesn’t show up as a fee on the receipt. But now, after being busted by authorities in Massachusetts, the java giant has decided to stop charging the fee. [More]

By now many of you are familiar with the old “tastes burnt” comment offered by people who aren’t fans of Starbucks’ current coffee offerings. And after 40 years of serving up the dark stuff, the java giant announced today it will start brewing up a milder, blonde roast in January. [More]

Starbucks fired a barista last week after his satirical song aimed at his employer went viral. In it, the ex-barista, wearing nothing but a Starbucks smock, croons an acoustic guitar ballad about how baristas trick customers when they’re short on supplies, how rude customers stink, and the drink purchasing habits of different races. [More]

For some reason, some folks in the food service biz never learn the lesson that they shouldn’t vent their anger at a customer by insulting them on a receipt, to-go pack or in this case, a Starbucks cup. [More]